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Auteur Lang T

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Assessing post-disaster consequences for health at the population level: experience from the AZF factory explosion in Toulouse / Lang T in Journal of epidemiology and community health [J Epidemiol Community Health], Vol. 61, N° 2 (2007)

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Titre :

Assessing post-disaster consequences for health at the population level: experience from the AZF factory explosion in Toulouse

Background: A major explosion occurred in the AZF chemical factory in Toulouse in September 2001. A comprehensive programme of epidemiological surveillance was set up. Objectives: To present an overview of the programme and discuss the methods and potential utility of postdisaster epidemiology. The programme had three objectives: (1) to analyse comprehensively the short-term and long-term effects of air, water and secondary soil pollution on health; (2) to identify health problems needing special attention; and (3) to investigate the long-term direct and indirect effects on the population's health. Methods: The programme was organised through three committees: (1) a scientific committee, (2) an executive programme committee and (3) an institutional committee which aimed to facilitate exchanges between the epidemiologists, the regional authorities, the population and the media. As the catastrophe was an industrial disaster that had a major effect on workers and companies, and also caused severe damage to many schools and buildings all over the city, routine and ad hoc surveillance systems were used and three specific ad hoc questionnaire surveys in workers, schoolchildren and the general population were planned. Results and Conclusions: Although the routine surveillance systems had limitations, several sources provided useful information for public health decisions and were found to be concordant with ad hoc epidemiological studies. Defining a victim was central to the choice of a programme design based on an approach either to victims of the disaster or to the entire population in the surrounding region. Anticipation and preparation for such disasters are thus required.

Assessing the medium and long term consequences of an industrial catastrophe: the explosion of a chemical plant (AZF) in Toulouse (France) / Lang T in European journal of public health [Eur J Public Health], Vol.12 (suppl 1) (12/2002)

[article]

Titre :

Assessing the medium and long term consequences of an industrial catastrophe: the explosion of a chemical plant (AZF) in Toulouse (France)

Objective: The aim of this study was to describe the prevalence of symptoms consistent with post-traumatic stress disorder (S-PTSD) in police personnel involved in rescue operations after the AZF chemical plant explosion in Toulouse, France, on September 21, 2001, and the relationship between S-PTSD and the type of rescue operation. Design: A cross-sectional survey was performed, using a mailed questionnaire. Participants: Six hundred and thirty-five out of 1,500 rescue operations police officers participated in the study. All were involved with the explosion site after the industrial disaster. Main outcome measure: The outcome variable was the presence of S-PTSD. The explanatory variables were the level of exposure during the rescue tasks. Statistics: Logistic regression was used to calculate the adjusted odds ratios (OR). Results: The prevalence of S-PTSD among policemen was 4.1 percent [95% CI: 2.1-6.2]. Policemen who had immediate health consequences (OR 4.6; [95% CI: 1.3-16.4]) and those who provided medical assistance to the victims (OR 5.7; [95% CI: 1.6-20.2]) had a higher prevalence of S-PTSD. Conclusions: Providing medical assistance to the victims was a major risk factor of S-PTSD for police officers. Training police officers to take part in medical activities at the time of the disaster might lead to a reduction of SPTSD incidence in this group. (R.A.)